Rhythms Magazine

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi recently completed their first tour of Australia together, although it turned out to be an abbreviated visit due to the cancellation of their appearance at the Blue Mountains Folk Festival. However, they did appear at Womadelaide and the Port Fairy Folk Festival to great acclaim and we saw them give a final brilliant show at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturday March 14. The day prior to this they spoke to Brian Wise and played several songs from their acclaimed album There Is No Other, released in 2019. (The song 'I'm On My Way' was nominated for a Grammy and, in September 2019, Giddens received the Legacy of Americana Award at the Americana Honors & Awards in Nashville).

During his recent tour of Australia, Canadian-born American-based singer-songwriter Steve Poltz joined Brian Wise in the studios of Triple R FM during Off The Record for a rollicking half hour or so of chat and performance.

Melbourne is deep into the 2019 International Film Festival and there are plenty of excellent music documentaries, including The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, directed by Thomas Zimny - Brian Wise's guest in the this podcast - and made in collaboration with the Cash Estate.

Thom Zimny, has a number of award-winning documentaries and has also been working with Bruce Springsteen for the past 18 years. He directed Springsteen’s High Hopes, The Ties That Bind, the Grammy award-winning Wings For Wheels: The Making of Born to Run, and the Netflix-released Springsteen on Broadway. He also directed the 2018 documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher.   

During our conversation Zimny will tell you about his latest project with Springsteen. Zimny has also edited episodes of David Simon’s acclaimed HBO series, The Wire, and helmed music videos for Bob Dylan, The Low Anthem and many others.

In this triple header Brian Wise talks to three genuine Australian legends: Russell Morris, Richard Clapton and Joe Camilleri who performed on the first night of Bluesfest 2019 on the Jambalaya stage where the line-up included Arlo Guthrie and Mavis Staples with Russell, Richard and Joe following. Russell talks about his new album (and the 50th anniversary of 'The Real Thing'), Richard reveals a new secret project, and Joe discusses his 49th album and his 18th with the Black Sorrows.

We continue our series of interviews recorded during Bluesfest 2019 with Oakland, California musician Fantastic Negrito - who has won two Grammy Awards in the Contemporary Blues Album category. I spoke to him backstage on the first night of Bluesfest 2019.

We continue our series of interviews recorded during Bluesfest 2019 with songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Marcus king, who at just 23 years of age age has been performing for almost half his life. He joined Brian Wise with all the other members of his band at the Bay FM Q&A tent for a chat and a performance that you won’t want to miss.

Michael & Tanya Trotter are The War & Treaty - a duo that is wowing audiences all around the world. They appeared in exclusive appearances at Bluesfest this year and received the same enthusiastic audience response that I have witnessed them get at the New Orleans Jazz Fest over the past two years. I spoke to them just after their very first Australian performance.

The trio I'm With Her might be considered a bluegrass 'supergroup'. Sarah Jarosz, Sarah Watkins and Aoife O'Donovan have all had substantial careers in their own right or with other combinations. They joined Brian Wise in the Q&A tent at Bluesfest 2019.

Imelda May is perhaps best known for singing with Jeff Beck's band but she has also worked with Jools Holland and many others and has a solo recording career dating back to 2002.

One of the most successful Australian songwriters of the past 3 decades talks openly abut his career to Rhythms Editor, Brian Wise. Recorded at the Bay-FM Bluesfest Q&A tent.